Holy Ground
by BecomingScarlett
Summary: AU - Caroline didn't know her friends the Mikaelsons were also known in other parts of the world as the Cursed Ones, who are not quite human and feed on the blood of children once a month, under the full moon. Her best friend Isobel, and her daughter Elena are part of the Petrova family, and needed for the Cursed Ones' Sacrifice, but Caroline will do anything to save them. - K/C
1. Prologue - Curse On Holy Ground

**Welcome to my newest story**! My very first Klaroline fic;) I'm super excited, and I really hope you guys like it. I am going to finish up It's A Boy Girl Thing before I start updating this story as often as that one, but that story should be wrapped up in 2 weeks or less. So here is the Prologue, and next week I'll have Chapter 1 posted.

Reviews are definitely appreciated, so please leave your feedback! I try and take into consideration your ideas while I'm writing and I think it really makes it more enjoyable for you and for me:)

Check out my Delena fic It's A Boy Girl Thing if you haven't already, and my completed short D/E story My Love Immortal.

DISCLAIM: I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of the characters. If I did, Klaus & Caroline would be together, duhh;)

* * *

**Holy Ground**

'_Right there where we stood was Holy Ground.'_

_._

**Prologue**

Curse on Holy Ground

* * *

A long time ago, in the Highlands of Scotland, an unspeakable crime was committed on holy ground by a young, desperate girl. Her name was Esther Gale, and she was from England, but she fled her birthplace after discovering she was with child. She was ashamed, not because she was pregnant at sixteen and her family shunned her, but because the baby was a result of her father's sins and she felt sick with guilt. She was a sinner and her baby an abomination. She had endured years of her father's wandering eyes, and eventually hands, and finally the rape that seemed never-ending.

One night, Esther had a dream, of a beautiful place; a meadow filled with wild flowers at the base of an extraordinary waterfall. When she woke, she followed her instinct and began to travel to the place in her dream. She walked north, the sin in her belly growing bigger each day, and when she finally reached her destination, she was about to burst. Esther gave birth to her baby all alone in the meadow from her dream, her screams of pain and agony drowned out by the sound of the waterfall crashing on the rocks below. When the long, excruciating labor was finally over, Esther was exhausted. She picked up her baby and held it in her arms, looking down into eyes that were identical to her father's. She tossed her head to the side and vomited into the grass.

That's when she heard the whispers. At first, it was only a hushed voice but it soon grew from one to many voices. It was like a Siren song, calling to her, and her body had to reply. Esther picked up her son and carried him with her towards the waterfall. She stood close, the cool mist spraying her legs with moisture, but she could comprehend nothing but the voices. They were calling to _her! _They wanted her to answer. They would help her; take away her pain and sadness and give her power and strength. The voices made a promise to give her all the things she wanted in life, but she had to give them one thing: Her baby.

In an almost hypnotic state, Esther obeyed the whispers, wanting nothing more than to have the life she dreamed of and knew she deserved. Without even knowing what she was doing, Esther held her unwanted baby under the water until it drowned, and then stepped under the waterfall, whispers growing louder and louder until they abruptly stopped. Esther stepped out of the water and onto dry land, feeling a strong sense of relief washing over her. All her pain, all her guilt, all her fears were gone. It was over. It was all over.

Only it wasn't over. It had just begun.

That night, Esther was given shelter by a kind woman and her family in a town close to the holy ground. The woman didn't know the curse Esther had just awakened, or that the night's full moon would complete the change and unleash a monster on the whole town. Esther was that monster, and when the full moon reached the highest point in the sky, the monster awoke with a thirst…

By morning, the twenty children were dead. Esther had killed every last one of them. The monster inside of her had a thirst for blood that only the innocent of a child could quench. But the hunger would return. Every month on the full moon, the monster inside of her would come out to claim more victims.

At first, Esther hated herself for what she'd done, but she slowly started to feel the power inside of her body growing. Esther grew stronger, more beautiful, and gained abilities that others did not have. She could make people obey her commands simply by looking them in the eyes, and her aging slowed with each kill she made. She was cursed, but...she felt powerful, immortal even, and she would do anything to stay that way.

Years later, after Esther was discovered to be the child-killing monster that nearly all of Scotland feared, Esther went home to England to face her family. The father that ruined her childhood and basically turned her into what she was today was still alive. Esther fixed that. She also took her mother's life, and her five younger siblings. She should have felt sad for their loss, but she didn't. She felt happy. She took all the power her father ever had and now it was hers. She was more alive than she'd ever felt.

But she eventually had to leave England as well, and took a ship to America, where she arrived in Virginia. A man who worked aboard the ship, Mikael, fell in love with Esther. She never thought she could ever love a man, not after what her father did to her, but she felt something for Mikael. He made her feel beautiful and special, and he wanted to take care of her. She'd never had that before. So even though she was the more powerful out of the two, she let Mikael feel like her protector and her provider. She accepted his marriage proposal, and they began a normal life together. Esther still had the curse rear its ugly head every month, but it grew easier to manage. She could kill only one child now and be satisfied. She kept her secret hidden from Mikael for years and years, even after they started a family together. She thought she could do it forever, but she was wrong.

The Mikaelsons had six beautiful children; five boys and one lovely daughter. They settled in a small, safe town called Mystic Falls, in Virginia, and they became a prominent family. They had a lovely home, and their name was respectable amongst the towns-people. It remained that way for thirteen years…That's when their eldest son, Finn, reached puberty, and the curse was awakened inside of him. When Esther discovered Finn was plagued by her curse, she started to panic. _Why did this happen? How can it be? Will all of my children carry the curse? _Esther was devastated, but she vowed to keep the secret hidden for her children. She would not let them grow out of control and draw attention to themselves. She would not let any harm come to her children, her babies. She would do anything to protect them.

Like clock-work, each of her children experienced their first change when they started puberty. Finn was first, then Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah, and finally Henrik. Esther managed to keep it a secret from her husband from the time Finn first experienced the curse until Henrik's first night under the curse's influence, but Mikael discovered what she was doing. He was furious. He was so angry that he killed Henrik on the spot. His youngest son, his own flesh and blood, and he snapped his neck like it was nothing but a twig. He turned his angry eyes to little Rebekah next, shouting to his wife that she was nothing but a liar and monster who must have gone behind his back and mated with the devil to create these evil children. Esther watched with worried eyes and angry heart as Mikael tried to strangle the life from Rebekah. She wanted to stop him, but she was too shocked. With all the power inside of her, she felt powerless to protect Rebekah this time.

But Niklaus did it for her. Niklaus took the life of his own father to protect his family. Esther was grief-stricken over the loss of her husband, even though she knew it had to be done. Mikael would have killed each of her children one by one if Niklaus hadn't stopped him. But Esther couldn't see past her selfishness and the giant gaping hole in her heart where Henrik and Mikael used to be. Two of her loves were dead in one night, and the blame all fell on her. She couldn't bare to carry the blame alone, so she did a horrible thing: she blamed Niklaus and caused her family to become even more broken. Niklaus left her, taking Elijah and Rebekah with him. Finn and Kol stayed by her side, but the emptiness she felt inside was a feeling that ate away at her until she finally realized what she had to do.

Esther had to find a cure for this curse that plagued her family. She knew it was by her own hand that this curse began, and it would be by her hand that it would come to an end. She would not rest until she found a way to release her family from this wicked curse, and then they could finally be together again.

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**Please Review! **

This is more the background story, the pre-story, to what is coming next. The next chapter will be much longer, will be years after this happened, and from Caroline's perspective.

I will try and have Chapter 1 posted by next weekend. I want to finish up It's A Boy Girl Thing before I really get deep in this story. I think you guys will really like it though:) I am excited to get into it more and get to Caroline's story. It's very AU, but it's Klaroline, so what's not to love about it?;)


	2. Chapter 1 - A Baby Is Born

**Holy Ground**

_'Right there where we stood was Holy Ground.'_

.

**Chapter One**

A Baby Is Born

.

_January 1st, 2013_

_New York City, New York_

_12:00 AM_

As the clock struck twelve, there was a chorus of, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" from all guests presently watching the ball drop on the big flat screen projector displayed on the wall of the Mikaelson's fancy penthouse apartment. I had always turned down Rebekah's party invites, because we were really more 'frenemies' than friends up until recently, but I was sort of glad I came out tonight. I was practically _dragged_ from my apartment by Meredith, and since Ric agreed to stay with Elena, I didn't have an excuse to say no. Besides, I was hoping to see Klaus, and I was not disappointed. For once, he was present and accounted for, and he spent the entire night with _me_.

"Caroline..." Klaus murmured, his lips so close to my ear I could feel his breath on my neck and it caused a shiver to creep down my back. I turned towards him expectantly, wondering if he was going to give me a New Year's kiss; hoping he would, really. He glanced down at my lips for a moment, licking his lips as if he was thinking what I was, but then he reverted his blue eyes to mine. "I'm so sorry, love." He said sympathetically, his sexy accent causing me to melt a little inside, as it always does. His eyes were focused so intensely on mine that I almost completely missed his words.

"What?" I blinked, a small frown likely forming on the center of my forehead. "For what, Klaus?" My mind jumped to the only logical conclusion, and I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, and accused, "You're leaving, aren't you?" He'd only arrived in New York just a few days ago, and he was already running off again? How long would he be gone this time?

Klaus' eyes grew sad, and instead of answering right away, he closed the space between our bodies, his fingers tingling the skin on my back through the thin fabric of my royal blue party dress. He leaned in until he was only a breath away, his nose practically touching mine, and he whispered, "I have to," before touching his lips to mine. I didn't know what that meant, and I wanted a more direct answer, but Klaus has always been mysterious and private, and I doubted he was going to be any more specific. I allowed my eyes to flutter shut as I felt his hands tighten on my hips and he deepened the kiss. His lips felt so nice on mine, like they were made for me to kiss, and he pulled away much sooner than I'd have liked.

My eyes remained shut for a moment, but when I opened them, Klaus was gone.

I looked around the crowded room, wondering which direction he went and how he got away so quickly. There was no sign of him, and for some reason, people were giving me strange looks. I wandered around the living room, looking for Meredith, or April, or even Rebekah; anybody I actually knew. Where were they? I caught a glimpse at the clock on the wall and it said it was almost 1AM. **1AM!** No way! It was _just_ midnight! Seriously...it was just midnight a few minutes ago. What happened to the time? I spun around slowly in a circle at the center of the room, my mind spinning faster than my body was moving because I was so utterly confused. I reached up to brush a stray strand of hair out of my eyes, and that's when I noticed something that made my heart drop straight down into my stomach.

_Oh my god! No! My bracelets!_

The two thin bracelets that I wear permanently on my left wrist were given to me by a young witch named Bonnie Bennett, who has become my friend, and her Grams, Sheila Bennett. The bracelets are made of a special kind of metal and charmed with a powerful spell. They are not ordinary bracelets, not worn for flattery or compliments, but as a warning for when a loved one's life is in danger. They remain a normal silver color when all is well, but if a loved one is in danger, it starts to glow a bright gold, and if that loved one dies...the metal heats up and bursts. That is the only way to remove it.

At the beginning of the night, one of the two bracelets was glowing bright gold, as it had been for over a year now, but the other was silver and safe. Now, both were glowing gold. That could only mean one thing; Elena was taken by the Cursed Ones.

_Elena!_ My sweet, sweet little Elena. I knew I shouldn't have left her. I never should have agreed to take one night off from being her guardian. She was safe with me all this time. The one time I leave...how could this have happened? Isobel trusted me to keep her safe, and I failed her. I failed.

* * *

_Four Years Ago..._

_November 27, 2008_

_Mystic Falls, Virginia_

"Caroline!"

As soon as I hopped out of the backseat of my mom's car, after the most awkward six hour car ride of my life, I was grateful to fall into the arms of my best friend and cousin, Isobel. This is the first Thanksgiving we're spending as a 'family' since Mom and Dad were divorced a little over a year ago. It is also the first time I've been home since moving to New York City the end of August to attend one of Manhattan's best Music & Performing Arts High Schools. I was accepted in June, and pretty much guilted my parents into allowing me to start my Sophomore Year of high school in the Big Apple, alone. They didn't ask my permission when they got divorced, or when Dad decided he was gay, I pointed out, so they should at least be happy _I asked_ for their permission. After much begging, they relented, and I couldn't be happier, but I do miss Isobel.

"Is," I squealed, hugging her tightly, "Oh my God, you're gorgeous! You got _bangs!_ I love it!"

"Thanks," Isobel laughed, her nose crinkling up, "But you're the gorgeous one, honey." She linked her arm through mine and started leading me towards the house.

"Oh, yeah, don't worry girls...We got this," Mom called sarcastically.

Isobel and I turned back, remembering all the laundry and bags and random items I insisted I needed to bring for my four-day stay in Mystic Falls. We each grabbed something, and then continued towards the home I grew up in. Inside, Isobel's parents were setting the table in the dining room, and called out a quick hello as we stomped upstairs.

"Hi Aunt Karen!" I shouted to my Mom's sister, who is three-years her senior, as I followed Isobel. I also yelled a greeting to Karen's husband, Andrew Fleming, "Hi Uncle Andy! Happy Thanksgiving!"

Mom and Dad dropped my bags on the floor in my room, and then Isobel and I shooed them away so we could catch up. Isobel visited New York for my birthday on October 3rd, which was luckily on a weekend, and she spent two full days and one night with me and my new roommates; Meredith Fell, April Young, and Rebekah Mikaelson. We snuck out of our dorm and went on a tour of the city, led by Meredith, who was the only one that grew up in the city. We didn't get into trouble, and we didn't even drink, which Rebekah openly complained about, but I had the best time ever. Even though it hasn't been two months apart yet, it still feels like a long time, and it is a long time to be away from your best friend. Isobel and I grew up together, and we've been best friends since we knew what a best friend was. I felt completely out of my element without her by my side in NYC, but I was adjusting, and we promised to visit each other whenever possible.

"How was the ride?" Isobel asked with a knowing smirk.

"Torture," I complained, flopping on my bed and stretching out, my legs feeling slightly cramped from sitting in the car so long, "The most akward ride in the history of parent/teenager car rides...and they didn't even let me sit in the front seat! It was like they wanted me to pretend everything was normal, and Dad isn't living with his boyfriend _Steven_ in Georgia. And Mom's pretending not to be all depressed here alone. I almost feel bad for leaving, but why should I be miserable too?"

"You shouldn't," Isobel assured me, "Don't feel guilty about leaving home. You love your new school, and you belong there, Care. You're singing, you're dancing, you're performing; it's everything you want to be doing that you can't do here. Take your chance. Trust me, you're not missing out on too much here..." She sighed and laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as she crossed her arms behind her head. "Besides, my mom is taking good care of Aunt Liz, don't worry. They've taken up jogging; it's weird. But they seem to be happy doing it, so whatever. As long as they're not asking me to join, I don't care."

I giggled, "Jogging? Really? That's priceless. What about you? How have you been?"

"Me?" Isobel seemed surprised by my question. "I..." She frowned, avoiding my questioning stare. She bit her lip, and finally looked over, her light blue eyes glistening with tears. She whispered, "I have to tell you something."

"What's wrong, Is? You know you can tell me anything." I sat up and placed my hand on Isobel's arm comfortingly. I didn't know what could possibly be wrong with Isobel. She was not a person to cry. I'd only seen her cry like three or four times in our sixteen years of life, and I'm pretty sure two of those were under the age of six, so that doesn't even really count...

"I haven't told anyone else yet," Isobel told me slowly, keeping her tears at bay, "So you have to promise you won't tell. It's big, Caroline."

"I promise, I promise," I said impatiently.

Isobel nodded, accepting my reply. "Okay..." She took a deep breath before blurting out, "I'm pregnant. I found out two weeks ago, and I know it's crazy, but it's true. I am almost two months along. I was so scared when I found out, but now," She shrugs, the corners of her lips lifting up slightly into an almost bitter smile, "I know it was for a reason that I got pregnant, and no matter what, I'm keeping my baby."

My mouth dropped open in shock. I couldn't believe what my ears just heard. Isobel was pregnant? No way. But she was always the good girl, and I was always the rebel. If either of us were going to get pregnant at sixteen, it should have been me. I instantly wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight. "How? Who? When? Oh my God, Issy, this is insane. How are you dealing?" I sat back to look at her face for an answer.

She waved away my first few questions, but replied, "The week before I came to visit you in N.Y.C. I'm fine. I'll be fine. I'm not due until the end of June, and I'll be seventeen by then. I'll just have senior year, and then I'll graduate and be out of my parents' hair. I won't burden them with my baby. Maybe I'll move up to New York with you. I don't know, Caroline. I don't know what I'm going to do...but I have over seven months to figure it out, right?"

"When do you think you're going to tell your parents?" I queried, feeling sick to my stomach with the thought of being in Isobel's shoes at that moment. I didn't know how I'd tell my mom; she's the Sheriff of Mystic Falls! But Isobel's parents were pretty strict, and they were not going to be happy to learn their innocent daughter was not as innocent as they thought. "I'll be there with you, if you want. I mean, if you need some back-up."

"Thanks," Isobel shrugged, "Maybe. I don't know. I might not be ready yet. Maybe at Christmas."

"Is," I shook my head, "No. You can't wait until Christmas. You have to tell them. They're your parents. They will understand. They love you."

"I know Care," Isobel replied unconvincingly, "I know."

Isobel didn't seem to have the same amount of faith in Aunt Karen and Uncle Andy as I did. I knew how much they loved Isobel, though, and I had no reason to believe they would abandon her in her time of need. Sure, they'd be disappointed, but they'd help her out. They would support her in whatever she chose to do. When you love someone, you love them no matter what.

* * *

_March 7, 2009_

_New York City, New York_

I had been running lines with April for the past two hours, both of us learning lines from the Spring Musical, written by a group of Seniors who were holding auditions next week. I was distracted, though, because today was Isobel's ultrasound appointment where she would find out the gender of her baby, and I was too excited to think about anything else. I expected Is to call an hour ago, since her appointment should be over by now, but my phone hasn't gone off once.

"Are you even following along?" April wondered, waving her script in front of my face. "Hello? Caroline?"

"Sorry," I replied as I finally came back to the real world, "I was thinking about something. Where were we?"

"Act two, scene four, line twelve," April sighed, "Your line is..."

Before allowing her to finish, I interjected, "I'm sorry, April. I don't think I can focus right now. Maybe later?"

"O-kay," April said as she rolled her eyes, "I'll just ask Bekah to help me."

I could have called her back, apologized, and explained why I was distracted, but I didn't. I didn't trust April as much as I trusted Meredith, and I didn't trust Rebekah one bit. Meredith and I were already talking about requesting a two-bedroom dorm next year and rooming together, because we couldn't stand Rebekah. She was a two-faced bitch. April was nice, but she was like Rebekah's little pet, always doing whatever Beks told her to. It was more than a little annoying.

I gathered my script and my backpack, zipped up my jacket, and started towards the exit of the school's practice room wing. I was halfway to my dorm room when I felt my phone buzzing in my coat pocket. I stuffed my hand inside and pulled the phone out, pressing 'Accept' and knowing it would be Isobel without having to check.

"So..." I greeted in an excited manner, "Am I going to have a niece or a nephew?"

"It's a girl," Isobel sniffled miserably, "But Mom and Dad say I have to 'make other arrangements'."

"What?" I asked, my voice alarmed, "What do you mean?"

"They want me to let Miranda and Grayson Gilbert adopt my baby," Isobel informed me bitterly. She seemed to grow more angry and hopeless with each word she spoke, "They don't think I'm mature enough to take care of a baby, and they don't want to be stuck raising my child for me. They won't even give me a chance. I've never done anything to make them doubt my judgement. I can take care of this baby, Caroline, and I don't want to let them take her from me. They can't take her from me."

"Oh, Isobel," I sympathized, dropping down to a sitting position on a cold stone wall after stumbling to a shocked stop in the middle of a crowded city sidewalk, "I can't believe it. Why would they do that? Why the Gilberts? It doesn't make any sense..."

"I don't know, Caroline, but Mom and Dad already talked to the Gilberts about it. They already think they're getting a baby the end of June," Isobel confessed, her voice thick with emotion, "I don't know what to do. I can't stay here. I can't let them take away my baby. I couldn't live with myself...I need to find a way to do this on my own. I have to get out of Mystic Falls. My little girl needs me. Nobody understands that. I'm her mother. I'm supposed to be in her life. That's the most important thing."

"Of course it is," I agreed, "That is _your_ baby, and you are her mother, and you know best. I'll do whatever I can to help you, Is. Just let me know what I can do."

"Thank you, Care," Isobel said gratefully, "You're the only one who understands what family truly means. I know you won't turn on me."

"You know you're a more a sister to me than a cousin," I reminded her, "I'll always have your back, girlie. And I'm going to be the best auntie in the world to your baby girl! No one better mess with her; they'll have me to deal with. I'll kick some ass if anyone tries to hurt her."

Finally, I got a small giggle out of Isobel, and she confirmed, "She is one lucky little girl. She has a Mommy and an Auntie who would die for her, and she's not even born yet."

"Maybe your parents will come around, Is," I commented hopefully. "Maybe once they see her, they'll realize what they're doing, and change their mind?"

"I can't take that risk," Isobel said stubbornly, "If they don't change their mind, I'll have to watch them take away the only thing that really matters, Care. You don't understand right now. You don't know how special she is. But you'll see one day. We have to protect her. She's more important than you or me."

I didn't know what Isobel meant, and honestly, she sounded a little hysterical, but I reaffirmed my previous statement; that I would do anything I could to help her and that, of course, I would do anything for the little baby growing in her belly. I could feel Isobel was hiding something from me, that there was more to the story than she was letting on, but I didn't pressure her to tell me. I knew Isobel was going through a rough time, and she didn't need anyone else making her feel like she was standing alone. I was on her side, and I always would be.

* * *

_June 22, 2009_

_Mount Sinai Hospital_

_New York City, New York_

"Caroline!" My mom's distraught voice reached my ears as soon as I answered the phone, "Thank God you answered! Isobel is missing. She's gone!" She took a shaky breath before she continued, "Karen thinks she ran away. Do you have any idea where she might be, honey?"

"What?" I asked, feigning surprise. I closed the door to the bathroom inside the hospital room, to block out the sound of Isobel's moans of discomfort. The last thing I needed was my mom to overhear her as I blatantly lied about her whereabouts. "Mom, please tell me you're kidding. How could she just be gone?"

I was actually disappointed in my mom for waiting so long to tell me about Isobel's disappearance from Mystic Falls. She'd run away Saturday night, and it was well into Monday afternoon, now. It was like they somehow found out Isobel went into labor this morning, and it was pertinent that they figure out where she'd gone and bring her home. I wasn't going to admit my part in Isobel's escape from Mystic Falls. I promised to help Isobel in any way that I could, and the number one thing was to get her somewhere safe so that she would be able to keep her baby with her, where she belongs.

"I know you're just as upset with us as Isobel," Mom reminded me, most likely recalling our last visit when I argued with her and Aunt Karen the whole weekend about the unfairness of the arranged adoption with the Gilberts. "Karen and Andy have no doubt in their mind that Isobel is with you in New York, but as of right now, we can't prove it. I need you to be honest with me, Caroline. Tell me the truth: Is Isobel with you?"

I admit, I considered confessing the truth for a fraction of a second, but I immediately brushed that reaction away. I was just scared. Isobel was in labor, and I was unprepared for this, and I was simply scared at the out-come. But once she delivered a healthy baby girl, I would be relieved, and if I confessed what Isobel and I did now, I'd only regret it later.

"I am upset with you guys for thinking you know best," I admitted, "And for trying to force Isobel into giving away a baby she truly wants to keep. I'm _not_ surprised she took off. But I had nothing to do with it. If she calls me, I'll let you know. I hope you'll do the same for me."

Mom was silent on the other end for a long time. I think she was a little taken aback by my reply. She didn't expect her sixteen year old daughter to backlash her so strongly, and to do so in such an eloquent fashion. "Well, I...I...Of course I will, Caroline. Thank you for being honest. I love you, Caroline. And I miss you."

"Love you too," I replied, before quickly hanging up.

I'd chosen to take a summer program with my high school so I could stay in New York, just so the plan Isobel and I came up with would work out. I had my doubts up until now, but after hearing my mom accept my lies, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. She believed it. We were home free. Isobel would keep her baby, and everything would work out. At least, for now.

I heard Isobel cry out in pain much louder than she had been a few minutes ago, and I quickly exited the bathroom to check on her. "Is," I reached for her hand and she gripped mine tightly, "Are you okay? Do you need me to get the nurse?"

She nodded, her face shockingly white and her expression strained, "Yes. Please. I can't - I can't do it. It hurts. It hurts too much."

"It's okay," I soothed, "I'll be right back." I ran out into the hall and walked to the nurse's station, where I spotted Isobel's attending nurse, and asked her to follow me back to the room.

The nurse checked Isobel and announced that she was fully dilated, and it was time to start pushing. She paged the doctor and began prep-talking Isobel for the final stage of labor. "Caroline is going to help me hold your legs up like this," Nurse Maureen explained kindly, "And when a contraction comes, instead of breathing through it you're going to push. I'm going to count to ten, keep pushing until ten, and then relax. Okay?"

"I can't do it," Isobel sighed, a tear leaking out of the corner of her eye as she shut them for a moment, "I'm too tired. I don't have any energy left."

"You _can _do this, Isobel," Maureen corrected, "You're strong and you can do this. If you can focus, and push nice and strong for me, you'll have your daughter in your arms in under half an hour." Isobel opened her blue eyes and nodded up at Maureen, agreeing to give it her best try. "Good," Maureen smiled, checking the rate of Isobel's contraction on the machine next her my right shoulder, "Ready? Feel the contraction? Now push...1...2...3..."

Isobel's grip on my hand tightened as she concentrated, and I held my breath with her as she pushed through the contraction. Maureen gestured for me to look between Isobel's legs, and after a moment of hesitation, I threw my embarrassment aside and looked at what Maureen was showing me. "Oh my God!" I squeaked, "I can see hair, Is, long, dark hair!"

"Good, now breathe," Maureen directed, and Isobel let out a puff of breath before gasping for air.

"Really?" She panted, looking up at me with a small, tired smile on her lips, "You can see her hair?"

"Uh-huh," I nodded, unable to contain the huge, tooth-baring grin on my face, "She does. Just like yours."

Isobel and I had been wondering what she would look like all this time, and I knew she was excited to finally meet her little girl. I think hearing that she had dark hair like her mom gave Isobel the extra boost she needed to push out the baby. Fifteen minutes later, a healthy baby girl with dark hair and brown eyes was placed into Isobel's arms. I positioned myself next to Isobel on the bed, wrapping my arms around both of them as Isobel cried tears of joy and relief. I let a few tears leak out of my eyes too, just thinking how close Isobel was from losing this precious bundle of joy.

"Hello, Elena," Isobel whispered down at the wide-eyed baby girl, "Welcome to the world, little one. I'm your Mommy, and I'm going to love you forever."

I smiled at the tender moment, pulling away to snap a picture of Isobel and Elena on my phone. "Aw, she's so beautiful, Is. She looks just like you, well, with brown eyes. Big, brown eyed girl." I ran my fingers gently through her soft, fine hair, greeting, "Hi, little Elena. I'm your Auntie Care. I'm gonna spoil the poop outta you!"

"You did a great job, Mom," Maureen complimented Isobel on her successful labor. "Congratulations on your healthy baby girl."

"Thank you," Isobel said, her eyes still staring adoringly at Elena. "I can't take my eyes off her; she's so beautiful."

I saw in that moment that Isobel really meant it when she said she would do anything for her daughter, even die for her. I never imagined it would actually come down to that, or that Isobel and Elena's lives would ever be in danger. All I wanted was to help my best friend, my cousin, _my sister_ find a way to keep her baby. I wanted her to be happy. But as I saw that fierce determination in her eyes, that eternal love that a new mom feels for her child, I felt it too. This was my family, and I would protect them, no matter what. Someday, not too far in the future, I would have to prove just how far I'd go not to lose them.

* * *

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